Follow by Email

Posts

The Minna Book and Art Festival (MinnaBAF) which held last
week in Minna, Niger state celebrated the life and writings of late writer Abubakar Gimba who passed away in February 2015. Under a panel named “Remembering Abubakar Gimba”,
panellists that included the late writer’s daughter, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar Gimba,
discussed critical issues the late author treated in his books such as
corruption and promotion of women rights. The uncommon humility and
philanthropy of the late author as one of the greatest Nigerian novelists ever
to emerge from Northern Nigeria also came under focus as participants recalled
his support to people under need and patronage to the arts. According to Abdullahi Ismaila and BM Dzukogi, the late
novelist remains the greatest funder and motivator of the Niger state chapter of
ANA. They recalled the late writer consistently funding ASCAFS, the flagship
project of ANA Niger for over a decade without fail. Dr. Wale Okediran reminisced on his working relationship
with A…

The Purple Hibiscus
Trust announces call for the 11th edition of its creative writing workshop. Applications
for the workshop will be open until October 15, 2018. The workshop, which would
be run by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will start from November 20 to November 30,
2018. HOW TO APPLY Applications will be
via email to purplehibiscus2018@gmail.com. The email subject
should read ‘Workshop Application.’ The body of the email
should contain the following: your name, address, a few sentences about
‘yourself’ and a fiction or non-fiction writing sample between 200-1,000 words. The final shortlisted
applicants will be notified on November 7, 2018. Accommodation will be
provided for accepted applicants.

Goethe-Institut
Nigeria is organizing a workshop for practicing and aspiring film
journalists. Writers with a strong interest in culture, especially film,
are encouraged to apply. 8 to 10 participants will be selected for the
5-day Film Journalism Workshop, which will take place daily from November
9 to 13, 2018. Language The working language
of the workshop is English. Target Group The workshop is open
to practicing and aspiring film critics, journalists, students of film,
researchers et c. Applicants with relevant experience in cultural
journalism (with particular interest in - but not restricted to – film) will
also be considered. Applicants must not be younger than 18 years old. Training Objectives Nigeria has one of
the world's largest film industries, with global interest in its local
content perpetually on the rise. Apart from classic Nigerian films of the
70s, as well as the popular Nollywood films and TV series, animation and
documentary films are also becoming increasingly kn…

Poetry first drew me towards Kampala four years
ago when my poem ‘Laruge’ was
nominated for the Babishai Niwe African Poetry Prize. I was invited for the prize-giving
event but a threat of Marburg virus put paid to the idea. When the opportunity
to be in Kampala came again via the AMLA Writing Workshop, I was lucky to be
among the academic cohorts chosen for the event. My earliest idea of Uganda was the film (too young to remember the title) portraying Idi Amin Dada, the
former dictator of the country. Then in secondary school we were taught the
history of the Buganda Kingdom. In University, it was the lyrical poetry of
Okot B’Pitek that connected me to Uganda. I had
wanted to leave from Kano but Ethiopian Airline said I have to board in Abuja. The
previous week, I had been travelling around; Sokoto, Maiduguri, then Ilorin. I
arrived in Abuja two days before the departure. The journey via Bole airport in
Addis Ababa to Entebbe was without hassles. On the plane, I watched Space Jam, the…

The inaugural edition of the Minna Book and Art Festival
(MinnaBAF) held at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference
Centre, Minna between September 18 and 20, 2018. The literary and cultural
event themed “Northern Nigeria Creative Development: The Valley and the Boundary”
is the first of its kind in Minna and the North-Central region of Nigeria. It
served to create awareness, build capacities and promote all forms of arts. Professor Zaynab Alkali, the first female novelist from
Northern Nigeria to be published in English, headlined the festival. Prof.
Alkali’s commitment and dedication to writing and literary activities served as
inspiration to guests at the festival especially school children who were
excited to interact with her. In her Festival conversation, moderated by
Professor Asabe Kabir Usman of Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, Prof. Alkali
emphasized the importance of self-development through hard work and dedication
to writing. Panel Discussions at the fes…

Application door is open for interested applicants for the 2018
Africa Centre Artists In Residency Programme (AIR). The Artists In Residency
(AIR) Programme accepts submissions from emerging, mid-career and senior level
artists across artistic discipline: visual arts, performing arts, curatorial
practice, music, creative writing and literature who are either self-taught or
formally trained in their respective discipline. ELIGIBILITY
Applicant must be
over 21 years old He or she must
have a valid passportHe or she must be from
the African continent and must have minimally reside in Africa for six
months of the yearHe or she must
possess a high level of proficiency in EnglishPARTNERS
FOR 2018 RESIDENCY Bundanon
Trust – AustraliaThe Bundanon property is located on 1,100 hectares of
pristine bushland overlooking the Shoalhaven River, near Nowra, two and a half
hours south of Sydney. This backdrop provides an inspirational haven for
artists to pursue their prac…

Entries are invited from photographers, 18 years old and
above for the 16th Smithsonian.com photo contest. The competition is organised
by Smithsonian.com magazine. What
does an award-winning photograph look like? It can range from a captivating portrait of a family member
to a moon-drenched landscape to movement captured at just the right time. The 16th
Annual Photo Contest which is now open for submissions, is looking for the best
of the best. Categories
of the contest There are 6 categories in the contest: Natural
World: Animals, plants and landscapes;
geological or climatological features; and scientific processes and
endeavors.Travel:
Locales, peoples or activities in the United States and abroad that convey
a sense of place.People:
Portraits and photos of groups or individuals.The
American Experience: Events, objects or activities
connecting the American people to their history or their cultural
heritage; photographs that tell us what it …

OVERALL PRIZE: $1000 (NZD)
GENRE: SHORT FICTION The submission window for the 2019 Prize is open and will close on the
1st of December 2018. The K & L African Literary Prize is awarded for the best piece of
unpublished short fiction (1000 – 2000 words). This is only eligible to African
writers living in Africa, ages 18 – 25. Send your short fiction as an attachment to id.ojabo@gmail.com. Send a brief bio (age,
nationality and location included) using the body of the email. Use name, age
and short fiction’s title as the email’s subject. ELIGIBILITY– Must be between
ages 16 to 25.
– Must be African
– Must be residing in Africa
– Evidence of age and residence would be required from all shortlisted
participants REQUIREMENTS– Theme of this year
should on ‘history’ – select one vital event in Africa’s history and pen down a
masterpiece fiction
– Length of fiction should be between 1000 to 2000 words
– All entries must be in English ABOUT THE K & L
PRIZE
This is a prize set up by Myles Ido…

Poets in Nigeria (PIN) is pleased to announce a call
for submissions of food-related poems for the 5th edition of the PIN Annual
Food Poetry Contest (initiated in 2013 as Eriata Annual Food Poetry Contest).
This initiative seeks to explore the relationship between food and poetry
within the ambit of literary creativity. REWARD 20 shortlisted entrants will be invited to a dinner at
an exquisite restaurant in Lagos where they will present their poems to the
audience and be awarded. Note: This reward can be enjoyed by proxy. GUIDELINES Open to
all poets irrespective of location.There are
no fixed themes, but submissions must either be food-related or
food-inspired.Entries
should make adequate use of imagery appealing to the senses.Entries
must be previously unpublished in any form.An entrant
can submit a maximum of 2 poems with limitless word count.Entries
must be original, intellectual property of the entrants.Entering
for the contest gives PIN automat…